RoR: Forum

Post 0

Monday, July 25, 2005 - 6:27pm

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Wow, pretty deep stuff.

I read a little bit of his stuff in school, might be worth another shot.

---Landon

Post 1

Tuesday, July 26, 2005 - 1:01am

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Hoy Erp,

read a little bit of his stuff in school, might be worth another shot

Yeah man. You're a science fiction kinda guy, you might enjoy The Great Divorce, which is a short story you wouldn't find out of place in an Arther C Clark anthology, and it is all filled up with these great little insights into human quirks. Likewise, and especially, The Screwtape Letters. If you can find it, there's an audio book of that one where a senior devil advises a junior one on how to corrupt humans, read by John Cleese (ie extra funny). AND, since I know you're interested in the Christian mind, Mere Christianity. AND, since you might want to get ready for the New Zealand film production of The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe you could take a whip through that series. For kicks, try to figure out the parallels between Jesus, John Galt and Aslan.

Post 2

Tuesday, July 26, 2005 - 5:58am

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I find his use of the term "robber barons" objectionable:

Main Entry: robber baron
Function: noun
: an American capitalist of the latter part of the 19th century who became wealthy through exploitation (as of natural resources, governmental influence, or low wage scales)

Other than this complaint, I agree with the gist of the quote and would add that the same gist applies to so-called "friends" who say they want to "help" but really just want to mind other people's business while their own languishes.

Post 3

Tuesday, July 26, 2005 - 6:30am

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I could never stand The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as a kid. Everybody was going on about how great it was - however all that "son of adam" and "daughter of eve" nonsense gave me the creeps. A lion coming to save the day, who can relate to that?

Yes, apparently CS "ultra-religious" Lewis was a good friend of JRR "ultra-religious" Tolkien -and I believe the Lion is supposed to be a symbol of Jesus. Indulging in Turkish delight makes you wicked! What crap! Kneeling before royalty makes you noble and good. What crap! It's no wonder CS disliked capitalism - he probably thought like JRR that technology was evil.

It's amazing he ever had something worthwhile to say.

Post 4

Tuesday, July 26, 2005 - 6:59am

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Hells bells Setzer! If you had a dollar bill every time you quoted the bloody dictionary! :)

Main Entry: robber baron
Function: noun

Couple of points.
In England, where Clive comes from, the term 'robber baron' described landed men of the Middle Ages who ambushed travelers passing through their lands and held them up. Bit like a trap-door spider, and more still like the revenue-raising police cash cameras that ambush us via the pretense of 'road safety'.
If that's what he means you surely wouldn't find the term "objectionable".

Finally, your late C19th countrymen to whom the term was re-applied really do seem to be bad-asses worthy of the term- your Van Derbilts, JP Morgans and Fisks. But here's my point, 'exploitation' is not a dirty word. It just means 'rigerous utilisation', right? Stick it in a sentence or two that haven't been befowled by Marxist connotations: I shall exploit my talents to the full! I shall exploit the resonating properties of this harmonica to play you a tune!

To me it's just another word corrupted such as 'liberal', 'discrimination' and 'selfishness'. I get called at one time or another a selfish egotistical discriminating exploiter.

What can I say in reply? "You know me sir!"

Post 5

Tuesday, July 26, 2005 - 9:58pm

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Rick, I agree on the corruption of the term robber barron. On a side note I saw the trailer and am looking forward to the film.

As far as fantasy stories go I tend to just hold them to their own logic more so than to the logic of the real world. But it usually takes an exceptionally good one to grab my attention, I tend to gravitate more towards super-hero stories which I hold as their own seprate genre (which I tend to hold to higher romantic realist standards than fantasy).

I tend to think christians can make great fantasy writers, just by following the logic of their religious convictions they can create a fascinating world where amazing events can take place. But conversely these stories show just how far from reality these ideas actually are, so it works both ways.

---Landon

Post 6

Wednesday, July 27, 2005 - 12:45pm

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I very much doubt that there ever has been, will be, or could be a "tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims." The concept is too preposterous. One of the reasons given for slavery in early America was that the Negro was too backward to look after himself, and needed therefore to be enslaved by the benevolent white man. Does anyone really believe in that motivation?

It was Ludwig von Mises who answered, when asked what he would do if he were chosen to be the absolute ruler of America, "I'd abdicate." THAT is benevolence, and the only form it could take.

Barbara

Post 7

Wednesday, July 27, 2005 - 12:55pm

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One of the reasons given for slavery in early America was that the Negro was too backward to look after himself, and needed therefore to be enslaved by the benevolent white man. Does anyone really believe in that motivation?

I'm fairly certain some men did, altruist/collectivist movements aren't usually corrupt from the outset. They start with people who actually think they're doing the right thing and taking the right stand. If they started out corrupt they'd never get very far because people's morality would get in the way too often and at too crucial of junctures.

From all the study I've done, Hitler, Lenin, Mussolini and Trotskey (maybe even Stalin but I doubt it) really thought they were creating the best government they could for the people they loved. They were just insanely wrong.

---Landon

Post 8

Thursday, August 4, 2005 - 7:08pm

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Lenin?!?!?!? That lunatic? Do yourself a favour and have a read of The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Empire, by Dmitri Volkogonov.

If anything, Lenin was more evil than Stalin - he was the one who set up the system that allowed Stalin (his personal friend, remember) to flourish.

Post 9

Friday, August 5, 2005 - 12:25am

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Yeah Landon, you nutcase!

Lenin is evil, didn't you even know that? He was insanely wrong, as Duncan Bayne & his dog point out. Boy have you ever got the wrong end of the stick Landon. I'm giving my sanction vote to Duncan Bayne.

Now I suppose you're going to come on here and tell us you were talking about something completely different. Go on then, you Leninist back-peddler!

Post 10

Friday, April 21, 2006 - 12:06pm

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For anyone who cares, this quote comes from God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics.